The Washington Diplomat

Appointments - March 2005

• Azerbaijan
Tahir Karimov assumed the position of political counselor on Feb. 15, replacing Tahir Taghi-zadeh, who departed the post on Dec. 12.

• Bahrain
Husain Al Mahmood assumed the position of second secretary in November.

• Namibia
Selma Ashipala-Musauyi assumed the position of minister counselor on Jan. 1, replacing Haroldt Urib, who departed the post on Dec. 31. Ashipala-Musauyi previously served as undersecretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1999-2004) and deputy permanent representative of the Namibian Mission to the United Nations (1995-99).

• Dominican Republic
Flavio Dario Espinal became ambassador of the Dominican Republic to the United States on Jan. 1. Ambassador Espinal previously served as ambassador to the Organization of American States 1996-2000), for which he was chair of the Permanent Council, the Committee on Legal and Political Issues, and the Committee on Hemispheric Security. He was also co-coordinator of the Civil Society Agenda during the Summits of the Americas. In addition, Ambassador Espinal is the former dean of the Law School at the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra, Recinto Santo Tomás de Aquino, in Santo Domingo, where he was also a professor of law and director of the University Center of Political and Social Studies as well as of the Center for the Study, Prevention and Resolution of Conflicts. He has practiced law in the cities of Santiago and Santo Domingo, and has served as a consultant for both the private sector and various international organizations. He is the author of "Constitutionalism and Political Processes in the Dominican Republic," and has published numerous articles and essays on political and constitutional issues in different academic journals. Before his current a ppointment, Ambassador Espinal published a weekly op-ed column in the newspaper El Caribe and co-produced the television program "En Contexto." He obtained his law degree from the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra. Ambassador Espinal also holds a master’s degree in political sciences from the University of Essex, England, and a doctorate in government from the University of Virginia.

• Latvia
Maris Riekstins became ambassador of Latvia to the United States on Dec. 9. Ambassador Riekstins previously served as state secretary (1993-2004) and undersecretary of state (1992-93) of Latvia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as various other positions within the ministry, including director of the Western Europe and Europe divisions. Since 2002, he has also been head of the Latvian delegation for accession negotiations with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). In addition, Ambassador Riekstins served as chairman of the Advisory Council for Latvia’s membership into the World Trade Organization, head of the Latvian delegation to the U.S.-Baltic Partnership Charter and the Latvian-Italian Economic Working Group, chairman of the Diplomatic Service Agency’s Shareholder’s Council, head of the Latvian delegation for negotiations on his country’s sea border delimitations with Lithuania and Estonia, as well as chairman of the Control Committee of Strategic Good of the Republic of Latvia. Ambassador Riekstins was also a lawyer with the faculty of law and the University of Latvia and a teacher at the Latvian Sports Institute. He speaks Latvian, English, Russian and German and is married with two children.

• Tajikistan
Bakhtier Erov, who served as second secretary/consul, was reappointed to the position of first secretary/consul.

Mahmadnazir Sharipov, who served as the first secretary, was reappointed to the position of counselor/deputy chief of mission.

• Turkey
Gurcan Balik assumed the position of second secretary in October.

• Mehmet Sekerci assumed the position of third secretary in November.